August 25, 2014

My family moved to a new house in the fall of 2005, and in the spring of 2006, I started growing vegetables in planter boxes for lack of soil in the yard around the house, as you can see from the photo below. I also started square foot gardening (SFG), but quit it in 2008 because I was unable to grow vegetables in SFG boxes properly.

Conclusions: I really liked all the new concepts described in Mel's book, "ALL NEW SQUARE FOOT GARDENING", but I was just unable to grow vegetables properly even if I prepared Mel's Mix properly. I have a feeling that chemical fertilizer is absolutely necessary to grow vegetables large.

August 23, 2014

On August 13, the first day of O-bon, I put my nukadoko in the vegetable compartment of the fridge, hoping to restart nukazuke making after returning from my father's house. Sadly, however, my wife reported that we could no longer get cucumbers from her father. So, on August 22, I took my nukadoko out of the fridge to put it back into the freezer again.

My nukadoko was in the vegetable compartment (at around 10C) for nine days, yet I didn't notice any signs of spoilage. No film yeast on the surface, and I could smell that familiar smell.

糠床は野菜室（10C前後）に９日間も入っていたのに、腐敗した様子はなく、表面に産膜酵母もなく、いつもの臭いがしました。

I stirred it with a pair of cooking chopsticks for aeration.
菜箸で混ぜて、空気を通しました。

I have found that a pair of chopsticks is the ideal tool for this purpose. I have also found that I need not turn the nukadoko upside down. All I need is to aerate the nukadoko.
空気を通すには箸が最適ということが分かっています。また、糠床を逆さまにする必要はないことも分かっています。ただ糠床に空気を通せばいいのです。

Then, I patted the nukadoko to release the air and flatten the nukadoko.
そして、糠床を軽く叩いて、空気を抜き、糠床を平らにしました。

I first put the Tupperware container in an I-Wrap bag and then in a plastic bag.
まずはタッパーをアイラップに入れ、次にレジ袋に入れました。

Then, I put it in the freezer.
そして冷凍庫にいれました。

I hope I can take it back from the freezer for another nukazuke session soon.
早く冷凍庫から出して、またぬか漬けを始めたいです。

Sadly, all the mulukhiya seedlings (both first 4 and second 4) wilted and died, so did two of the four okra seedlings. (Someone consoled me, saying that I wasn't the only one.)
悲しいことに、モロヘイヤの苗は全部（最初の４本と後の４本とも）しおれて、枯れ、オクラの苗も４本のうち２本が枯れました（私だけじゃないと慰められました）。

June 23
6/23
I decided to grow both mulukhiya and okra from seeds! I know it was a little late, but I just had to do it.
モロヘイヤとオクラを種から育てることにしました！ちょっと遅すぎますが、やらざるを得ませんでした。

I made seedlings from these seeds, and transplanted them in the field around mid-July.

この種から苗を作り、それを７月の中旬頃、畑に植えました。

August 6

8/6

They are both in good condition.

両方ともいい調子です。

This is the first time that I have grown the red variety of malabar spinach.
赤いつるむらさきを育てるのは初めてです。